A Twist of Fate
by TheRoseDragon
Summary: After the 4th Shinobi War and falling for a certain Kazekage, Sakura feels like her life is complete. But there are rumours on the wind of a dangerous new group that want to play. What will happen when they set their sights on her? Set 2 years after the 4th Shinobi War. GaaSaku Other pairings: NaruHina, ShikaTema WARNING: This fic contains lemons
1. Bad Dreams

**Hi there :) I'm TheRoseDragon and this is my first story on here :)**

**I hope you like the first chapter and please review. Constructive criticism is always welcome and I hope the characters aren't too OOC. I tried to make them as IC as possible but Gaara's quite difficult to get right.**

**I don't own any of these characters. They are all the property of Masashi Kishimoto :) **

* * *

_"Run! Hayaku! We don't have much time. Get out of here and keep running. Don't stop for anyone, okay? Trust no one and run." The blond boy's voice echoed down the dark corridors as they ran, searching for a way out._

_They found another corridor. There were 3 doors down the end. In the distance, she swore she could hear the sound of people talking. _

_It was them, she knew it was them. They were catching up again. The pink haired girl tensed as she listened for anything other than the sound of dripping water in the underground labyrinth._

_'I can feel their chakras getting closer. Do they know where we are?' She thought as the distant echo of footsteps grew increasingly louder._

_Suddenly the footsteps stopped. The only noises that could be heard was the faint rattling of a door knob. 'They've stopped. They must have a sensor', she concluded as the footsteps started once more, only more urgently than before._

_"Naruto are any of the doors open?" she hissed in a panic. This wasn't good. If they got caught… No. She wasn't going to think about what would happen. They would get away. They just had to open one of these damn doors._

_"No. They're all locked," he replied, his eyes locked on the murky darkness ahead of them. The faint, flickering glow of a torch could be seen, illuminating the end of the hallway._

_"Sakura-chan, we can't get out," he whispered quietly as the light began to get brighter._

_They could see shadows now. It was over. "Oi, Sakura-chan! What are we going to do?" he called out louder than before. The pink haired medic turned and glared at him in the dull light._

_"I don't know baka!" __she cried out in frustration. _

_There was no way to get out and they had used up all of their chakra earlier trying to escape them the first time. The drugs in her system were beginning to take effect as well. She started to notice a dark haze at the edges of her vision and her eyes went in and out of focus._

_"I'm sorry Naruto. I promised I wouldn't be a burden anymore but I just keep failing you. I keep trying to protect you but instead I end up getting you into these messes. This is my fault and there's nothing we can do about it." She murmured as tears started to drip down her cheeks. _

_Why was she so weak? She had tried so hard. All those years spent training, honing her medical ninjutsu. It was all for nothing now. They would be captured and most likely tortured, all because she wasn't strong enough. _

_It wasn't fair, damn it! _

_She had told herself that she would never let her precious people get hurt again._

Sakura woke with a start as she tried to gather her bearings. She was in Sunagakure. It was okay, it was only a dream.

She took in a few deep breaths and tried to calm her racing heart. Looking around the room, she saw the dim light of the Sun creeping through the maroon curtains. Next to her, she felt that comforting warmth she'd become so accustomed to.

Glancing down at the sleeping figure beside her, she watched the light dance on his face. He looked so peaceful.

Sometimes she would just watch him like this, gazing at him in awe. His face looked so different compared to the stoic mask he generally wore. He was more relaxed here, without the tense crease that usually appeared on his face after council meetings.

She wondered how her life had gotten to this point. If she had known at 12 that her life would have turned out like this, she probably would have cried over the loss of her love for Sasuke-kun and recoiled in fear at the thought of loving the demon of the Sand, Sabaku no Gaara.

It was strange looking back. Although at 12 she may not have expected any of this to happen, at 19 she realised that she couldn't imagine her life being any other way. A life without Gaara wasn't something she ever wanted to think about and she hoped that she would never be without him.

When she had first seen him, he had sent shivers up her spine. His cold, sea-foam eyes seemed to stare right through her, as if they knew all of her secrets. He had appeared out of nowhere as well, like a lion silently stalking its prey.

She would never have admitted to it but even then she could see how, if put in the right light, he could be quite handsome. He had flawless, pale skin and blood-red hair that clashed and made the 'ai' tattoo on his forehead stand out.

She later learned that it was actually a scar with a back story so tragic; it had made her want to hold him in her arms forever and take away all his course being the fangirl that she was, she spent most of her time watching Sasuke and never paid much attention to anything else.

It was one of her biggest regrets.

She was so weak back then but nothing else mattered to her apart from being noticed by him. The amount of time she had wasted still made her ashamed. She had lost her friendship with Ino over a guy who had knocked her out and left her on a bench after she told him that she loved him. He tried to kill her and Naruto multiple times after that but she had still loved him.

Back then, she just couldn't accept the fact that he was gone. She beat herself up over it every day. She thought that maybe if her love had been stronger.

No she knew that if her love had been stronger than she could have saved him. She could have made him see that error of his ways, because her love would save him.

She knew it would.

However it didn't. As she grew older, she realised that nothing could have stopped him. Even if she had managed to prevent him from going that time, he would have tried again. His path was in the dark and he would get his revenge, no matter how far he fell into the shadows.

Gaara had helped her see that. At first, he couldn't quite grasp why she felt guilty. To him it made no sense. Sasuke had chosen his own path and nothing would have swayed him from it. He had tried to kill her and when he had spoken to him, he saw the truth. They had both walked in the darkness of the world and Sasuke had closed his eyes to the light. He cried for the disappointment that Naruto would face when he saw Sasuke.

His life was over. Being a rogue ninja was one thing.

Attacking the Raikage's brother after joining the Akatsuki was something else. Even worse was attacking the 5 Kage Summit and becoming an internationally wanted criminal.

Eventually it had all worked out.

During the 4th Shinobi war, Sasuke had joined the Allied Shinobi forces and fought against Uchiha Madara. They had won and Naruto defeated Sasuke, finally getting through to him.

At that point, she had still been madly in love with him but the spell was beginning to break. She found herself criticising his actions more and more and asking herself why she had wasted so much time pining after him. She was not a rookie ninja who idly fantasised about being Mrs. Uchiha Sasuke. She was Haruno Sakura, apprentice of the Godaime Hokage and one of the youngest and most talented medical ninjas in the world. She had to start acting the way people expected her to.

The day that the war ended was the day that she had promised herself she would change. Just like back when she had first become a medical ninja, she would become stronger and protect her loved ones. Never again would she be a burden on anyone.

The aftermath of the war was devastating. Half of the shinobi population was decimated in only a few short days. The Kage had been found nearly dead, in the same place where they bravely fought against Madara. That was how she had originally become friends with Gaara actually. When they were brought to the medic base, it was decided that they would be kept in medically induced comas in their own villages while they healed.

A temporary Kage would be voted in for each village. Akatsuchi, the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, would lead Iwagakure.

Temari-san and Kankuro-san, siblings of the Godaime Kazekage, would lead Sunagakure.

Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy Ninja for Konohagakure, Darui and Shee, the right hand men of the 4th Raikage, for Kumogakure and Aoi, one of the bodyguards of the Mizukage, for Kirigakure.

A medical ninja had been chosen to watch over each of the Kage and check their progress. Due to the alliance between Konoha and Suna, the temporary Kazekages requested that Sakura was brought to look after their brother. She had already saved both of their lives once before and she was trusted by Naruto so she was the obvious choice.

It was a daunting task to be given and failure was not an option. The death of the young Kage would bring about war between the two severely weakened villages. It would have destroyed both of them beyond repair and it would have meant the end of Konoha.

If she had been honest with herself, she would have said that she had been quite apprehensive about looking after the Kazekage.

She knew that he had changed. She had witnessed that for herself.

He was the man who singlehandedly united the Shinobi Forces as one. If anyone deserved to recover from something like this, it was him.

Of course she couldn't help but notice that he had, quite frankly, gotten very hot since she had last seen him. His face had matured, no longer a round shape, but longer and more chiselled. His dashing features and silent personality had caused him to gain many fangirls in his time as Kazekage and she could see why.

That was the problem. There was so much pressure to succeed.

She knew that she could do it but there was always that little, nagging voice in the back of her head berating her. It told her that she was weak, useless and annoying, a complete failure of a shinobi.

* * *

A few days after the war ended, she was escorted to the Land of Wind by an ANBU Squad. At the border where forest met desert and the two opposing environments clashed against each other, she met the party who would take her to Suna. There was a girl with brown hair and thigh high boots who introduced herself as Matsuri. Temari had come along and a man wearing a headscarf called Baki was there as well.

Walking through the desert was nothing like jumping through trees. The sand got everywhere. By the time they reached the village, she looked like she had done a full day's training with Gai-sensei and Lee. Her pale skin was red and sore from the Sun and her pink hair was a dishevelled mess.

In comparison, the Suna nin looked far better. Upon seeing her in such a sorry state, Temari offered to let her rest for the day and do the meetings tomorrow.

Sakura, being the stubborn person that she was, had refused and was eager to get to work as soon as possible. She had never been too enthusiastic about training but when it came to her patients, her enthusiasm knew no bounds.

It was her passion. When she was in training, she had spent whole days in Tsunade's private library researching new techniques. Sometimes she would borrow as many as 10 different medical books from Konoha's library and stay up all night memorising their contents.

Naruto and Sai often teased her about being such a bookworm but she had always been like that. In the academy, she used to repeat the rules of a shinobi in her head all day. She would write down different strategies and bits of information that she had learnt so she never forgot it.

Problem solving was one of her strengths and that's what made her such a good medical ninja. That and her perfect chakra control, a rare gift among shinobi.

Temari showed her to her room and she was given 30 minutes to freshen up before she was to be presented to the Council. They wanted to ask her a few questions first, just to make sure she was trustworthy.

She could understand why. Letting a foreign ninja examine your incapacitated Kage took a lot of trust on the village's part so it was natural for them to be cautious.

The room she had been given was in the Kage tower. Usually long-term visitors would be given temporary apartments but because she was taking care of the Kazekage, she had been allowed to stay in the main compound. It was extremely rare for any guest to be allowed to stay in the same building as a Kage so she took it as a massive compliment that they trusted her that much.

The Kazekage was kept in his room instead of the hospital. The Kazekage Tower was easier to defend and there were always more guards there anyway. It was safer for Gaara to remain there. She was told that medical equipment had been brought up and any other equipment could be moved at her request.

She wondered what Gaara was thinking of in his coma. She had seen patients in comas before. Some were medically induced and others were natural and there was no way of telling how long they would in one for.

Those patients were the ones she hated to see the most. Well them and children. It wasn't that she hated helping them, no, not at all. On the contrary, seeing them wake up would brighten the rest of her day. It was just the uncertainty of it all.

A medical ninja was supposed to help others and it was always frustrating when there was nothing you could do for a patient. Sakura loved helping others and being in control. Long gone were those genin days of helplessness but seeing someone like that always managed to drag out the memories from the dark recesses of her mind.

She was plagued with weakness then.

Even Sasuke had said that she was weaker than Naruto.

Deep in her heart, she knew it was true but when he had said it, it felt like someone had plunged a dagger into her chest.

All she wanted was his approval and all he saw was an annoying weakling.

* * *

Temari came and got her after she had freshened up. She had taken a shower and changed into some clean clothes but her skin was still stinging from the sun.

The Council meeting had been long and boring but by the end of it, they had each placed their faith in her. They believed that if anyone could help Gaara, she could.

When she first saw Gaara lying in his bed, she was shocked.

He had been pale before but in the dull light of the room his skin looked almost translucent. There were heavy bags under his eyes that made his face look sunken and there were numerous wires and tubes going into his body. His face looked so much younger though.

If she had had no idea who he was, she might have thought that he was a harmless boy, but she did. This was the fearsome Kazekage, once regarded as the psychotic, homicidal jinchuuriki of Shukaku.

He had changed so much from back then. Those eyes, once a raging sea of hate, were now a calm ocean of wisdom. He possessed a maturity way beyond his years that had even impressed the Tsuchikage.

It was all thanks to Naruto.

Although she didn't know the full story, she had heard little bits from Naruto about Gaara's life.

Apparently he was tormented as a child by the other children and his own father tried to have him assassinated on multiple occasions. He was such a strong person and so was Naruto.

She really admired them. They had changed the way people had seen them, no longer were they excluded and thought of as weapons.

No, now they were respected and regarded as heroes.

Stirring from her thoughts, she looked down at his sleeping face once again and brushed a few strands back from his forehead. She traced along the scar, feeling the rough ridges where flesh had been torn away and scar tissue had taken its place.

'Love huh?' she thought to herself, quietly leaning down and kissing his forehead.

He was loved by so many people now. It was all he had ever dreamed of.

* * *

The first time she had spoken to him was about 3 weeks after she arrived in Suna.

Between monitoring the Kazekage and reporting his condition back to his siblings, she also began doing some rounds at the hospital to reduce the workload of the doctors there. Temari and Kankuro would usually take turns looking after their baby brother during the time she was gone. If she was needed then they would send someone to get her, but luckily she never was.

His condition was steadily getting better and she was sure that by the end of the month, he would make a full recovery. He would still have to be careful of how much work he did, but he could gradually work his way up to it.

Plus Temari and Kankuro were always there to help, although Temari had made many 'diplomatic visits', as she called them, to Konoha. There were rumours flying around that she was secretly seeing Nara Shikamaru but Kankuro refused to believe any of them.

He insisted that she was just interested in the welfare of an allied village and that's why she was taking so many trips. He was only fooling himself but Sakura let it be.

She would let Temari deal with that one herself.

If everything went well then Gaara would be awake soon and he would need to know about an inter-village relationship, especially one that involved his sister.

At the end of her shift, she was exhausted and had made her way back to the Kazekage's quarters.

There had been so many patients and she had worn herself out. Several children had been rushed in after being bitten by an extremely venomous snake that required immediate treatment. They had been fine and hadn't cried too much but one of the toddlers had kept pulling on her hair while she was working.

She started to get angry but after looking into his big blue eyes and seeing his fuzzy brown hair, she couldn't stay mad for long. He started giggling and Sakura spent 20 minutes playing with him while she waited for the antidote to take effect.

After that there had only been one patient. He was an older ninja, around 40, which was a rare sight. During the war, he had injured his leg quite badly and had spent 2 weeks recovering in hospital. On his first mission, he ran into some powerful bandits and shattered his leg again. He was rushed into the operating room with severe lacerations and third-degree burns on his upper torso and calfs.

It looked like someone had played tic-tac-toe kunai style with his skin. He'd lost a lot of blood but they just managed to save him. Sakura had left one of the senior nurses to look after him as her main priority but she was fairly certain that he would make it.

His body was quite strong but he'd need extensive surgery on his leg before he could do missions again and the scars would never fully heal although she didn't think he would mind that much. She'd noticed that Suna shinobi often wore their scars proudly.

As she reached the Tower, she had felt like someone was watching her. She had tried to use her chakra to find them but she was too exhausted and nearly collapsed right there. She'd staggered into the building and up the stairs and made her way towards the Kazekage's room.

When she opened the door, the room was empty and one of the windows was open. She distinctly remembered that she shut the window during the day but someone had opened it. She climbed through it and jumped on the roof and looked around for who it was.

She saw no one but when she turned around, she almost bashed into the Kazekage and nearly knocked both of them off the roof.

"Are you okay?"

He inquired, giving her a once over before his eyes returned to her face.

"You should be more careful. You could have gotten hurt." He had told her while she profusely apologised.

At that moment, her body had decided that it would be a brilliant time to give up on her and she felt herself falling to the ground as her vision went black. The last thing she remembered seeing was a mass of unruly, red hair and Gaara's concerned face.

The next morning she had woken up in her room, tucked into her bed.

It had taken her a few seconds to remember the events of the previous night and when she remembered, she nearly smacked herself for being so stupid and fainting in front of the Kazekage.

He came to check on her a few times throughtout the day after he gave her a day off to recover. She graciously accepted but not before lecturing him on getting back to work so early.

By the end of it, he had looked about ready to chuck her out of the building with his sand but he said nothing and simply nodded. In fact afterwards he seemed slightly surprised that she was concerned for him but she brushed that thought aside.

He was very secretive and it had been hard for her to get to know him. He was always so busy with his paperwork and she hardly ever saw him. Her mission had been completed but she was asked to stay around by the council for an extra two weeks to make sure he was okay.

She could tell it frustrated him how everyone babied him and the check-ups had been difficult at first, but he had started to warm up to her at the end. She had stayed up with him most nights and just spent the time talking to him about various things. She told him about all the things he had missed and how Suna hospital had been going while he was unconscious.

While she had told him about the hospital, he'd had a strange look in his eye, but she wasn't able to figure out what it was. She had just brushed it aside then and focused on making sure he was okay and dedicated herself to the hospital while she was still there.

She had made a few friends in the hospital actually. At first they were very cautious around her but like the Kazekage, they eventually warmed up to her.

She especially got along with one of the nurses called Kobayashi Chiyoko. Chiyoko was quite soft-spoken at first but once you got to know her, she started to come out of her shell. She reminded Sakura a bit of Hinata but Chiyoko had a fiery temper if you wound her up enough.

* * *

On her last day, Chiyoko had cried and told her that it had been an honour to have worked with the Haruno Sakura. It had been slightly embarrassing for her as she wasn't used to being recognised like that but it was very flattering as well. Temari and Kankuro had walked with her to the edge of the village and she had said her good-byes.

They thanked her for helping their brother and kept making hints that she might be seeing them again sometime. She hadn't really realised what they meant by that at the time as she had been too preoccupied with wanting to get back to Konoha. Suna had been kind to her while she was there, but Konoha was still her home.

Gaara hadn't come to see her off however she hadn't expected it.

He was the Kazekage and was most likely trying to catch up on all the paperwork that he missed from being in a coma.

That meant that she had been really surprised when she heard a deep, raspy voice call out her name right before she left.

Gaara had come to see her off!

Back then she had buried the feeling, but it had made her really happy that he had wanted to say good-bye to her. She didn't know why but she chose not to analyse it and instead she focused on going home.

He thanked her for all her help at the hospital and that it had run very smoothly while she was there. He had handed her a scroll to give to Tsunade-sama, who had woken up a few days prior to her leaving.

Once she had returned to Konoha, she was tackled by a very energetic Naruto who was walking around with his new girlfriend Hinata. She had heard about them finally getting together and it made her happy to know that Naruto had accepted the Hyuuga heir's feelings.

They were very cute together.

She had been sad about the loss of her love but while she was in Suna, she had distanced herself from her love for Sasuke.

Instead she had concentrated on getting stronger and she had jogged through the desert daily to increase her stamina. She didn't know why but she'd thought that it would be useful to know how to run across the sand dunes more efficiently.

Sasuke had been pardoned from his crimes against the Five Nations however he had chosen to become a wanderer. He left with his new team, intent on travelling around and discovering various new jutsu in different countries.

She was happy for him as well.

His revenge was finally complete and the truth about the Uchiha massacre had been made public so now everyone knew that the higher-ups had orchestrated it. Very few people knew about the coup d'état that had been planned by them and everyone decided that it was best if the whole truth of the massacre stayed hidden, to preserve some of the clan's dignity.

What happened to her next was something that changed her life forever. She'd delivered the scroll to Tsunade and was just about to leave when she was called back into her office. The scroll had been an official request for a medical ninja to help out at Suna's hospital with a note at the bottom requesting Sakura as the medic to be sent over.

Tsunade had given her a strange look and then asked her if anything had happened between her and the Kazekage, never losing that sly smile on her face.

She'd had no idea how to respond.

Yes she'd spent time with the Kazekage and yes she enjoyed his company and he was drop dead gorgeous but she'd only been there for 6 weeks and for most of the time, he had been unconscious!

* * *

Just then she was shaken from her trance by the sudden movement of the boy next to her. He gazed at her, asking a silent question with his eyes.

She gave him a small smile which widened when she felt his hand wrap around her waist and pull her on his chest.

"What's bothering you?" he asked her while he gently nibbled on her ear.

"Mmmm- why would anything be bothering me?" She replied while wrapping her arms around his chest.

His arms tightened in response as his lips moved further down towards her neck.

She tried to stifle her moans as he kissed her neck, sending tingles throughout her body. She was finding it hard to keep her train of thought as he slowly licked and bit the spot. Heat started to build up in the lower part of her body and her willpower slowly started to ebb away.

"You're avoiding the question." He said between kisses as he pulled her on to him more.

Her moans got louder as he slowly began to run his fingers up her back, stopping occasionally to draw circles on her spine. His legs tangled in hers and he felt himself getting hard already.

"It's- mmhmmm- i-it's nothing Gaa-ra." She managed to get out as his hands and lips kept driving her crazy.

"I-I was j-just mmmmm thinking about us."

He stopped and propped himself up on one arm. He stared at her for a second before asking "What about us?"

She stared back at him and gave him a warm smile.

"Well, just stuff like how we got together really."

She hoped he would drop the subject but she knew that was an impossible thought. He was incredibly tenacious and was able to read her like a book. She should have known that he would be able to tell if something was wrong.

She buried her head into his chest and breathed in his scent.

He looked at her again before gently loosening her arms and cupping one of her cheeks. He slowly raised her chin so that she was looking him in the eye. His thumb started to rub her cheek when he saw her eyes widen slightly in surprise from how close his face was.

He moved his face closer so that their foreheads were touching and their breaths mingled between them.

"You're lying. There's something bothering you and I would like to know what it is."

She tried to move away but his hand moved to the back of her neck, forcing her to stay in place. His unwavering gaze stayed trained on her and she found herself memorised by his eyes. His previously smooth face was creased from where he was frowning. She tried to move again but his arm had locked in place.

"Sakura." He said, his voice turning serious.

"I do not wish for you to worry. I...dislike it when you are troubled. I would like it if you would tell me what it is." He paused for a second before continuing. "You... are important to me and I dislike the thought of there being any secrets between us."

He sat up a bit and brought his other hand around her waist, pulling her so she was flush against him. He rubbed her back gently, trying to coax her into speaking. After a few moments of silence, Sakura spoke up.

"It's… It's nothing big. It's just that… I have this horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen."

She finally looked up at him and she saw his brows furrow in concern.

She brought her arms up and started to rub the muscles on his stomach. She felt them ripple beneath her hands. She saw his face slowly getting closer and she closed her eyes in anticipation. She felt him move past her face and then she felt his warm breath on her ear.

She felt more tingles run down her spine and she shivered.

She had no idea how he did it. He affected her so much and he hadn't even done anything yet!

He breathed in and then whispered in her ear.

"Nothing will happen and no one shall harm you. They will die if they try. I will protect you."

He began to nibble on her ear again, earning another moan of approval from her. She ran her hands through his hair and he groaned from the sensation.

He rolled them over so he was on top and he started to bite and lick the sensitive part of her collarbone while her hands ran all over his back. She was whimpering and the heat began to build up again.

She loved him so much and he was the only one who could make her feel like this. She cried out as he bit down and her hips arched upwards. She could already feel how aroused he was and she knew exactly where this was going. She rolled her eyes at him. He made her feel so safe all the time and he had promised to never let her get hurt.

She would be fine right? Then why did she have this dreadful feeling?

* * *

**Yup well that's the end of the first chapter. I hope you liked it. Please rate and review :) **


	2. Reflections in the Mirror

**Hi there again. I know this was a fast update but I just had a new idea and couldn't stop writing until I got it down. So here is the result of that sudden inspiration, a monster chapter. Anyway enjoy the chapter and please rate and review. **

**Also, do you think the characters are OOC in this? I'm trying to stay as true to their characters as possible but it can be difficult at times. **

**Also thanks for the reviews guys :) It's always nice to get them because it shows that people like your story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or Naruto. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto**

**Recap of the previous chapter:**

_He made her feel so safe all the time and he had promised to never let her get hurt. She would_ _be fine right? Then why was she still feeling so scared?_

* * *

"_Gaara, get away! Please get away." He had to run otherwise he was going to die. There was so much blood. She was covered in it. She didn't want to kill him but she knew if he stayed then she would. _

"_Please Gaara, listen to me." She begged him as she felt it happening again. His eyes widened in shock and then everything went black. _

Sakura woke for the second time that morning, tears streaming down her face. She didn't know what was happening to her. She never got nightmares and even when she did, they never felt this real.

She'd never been that superstitious and although she wasn't going to start now, she couldn't help but wonder whether it was a sign.

Looking at the empty spot beside her, she saw that Gaara had left. He was probably in a meeting by now.

It amazed her how dedicated he was. He woke up extremely early and left the office late at night sometimes.

Well at least he used to before she came along.

He'd always been an intense individual who could focus on one thing for hours on end but she liked to think that she might have helped him mellow out a bit.

That being said, she still found herself forcefully dragging him out of the office, while he protested that he still had paperwork to finish. He'd eventually won and now she spent her nights helping him finish it before they went home together. He was so stubborn and a complete pain in the ass at times but he could be so sweet when he wanted to.

Well in his own little way.

He just had this habit of doing the most adorably awkward things without realising it. But she'd never tell him that because she enjoyed not being chased by sand tsunamis.

She still remembered the time he picked up a seed in the park at the insistence of Kankuro and gave it to her to plant in the garden. She had thought it was kind of sweet as she somewhat liked gardening. Three hours and a warning from the emergency room later, she'd found out that she was allergic to wasps and Temari had made Gaara swear to never take dating advice from Kankuro again.

She stood up and made her way to the bathroom. The pit of dread in her stomach hadn't left. She felt like she was going to be sick because she was so worried. This wasn't good at all. How was she supposed to focus at the hospital if she felt like this?

Stepping into the shower, she let the cool water run over her shoulders as she tried to calm herself down. There was no way that something was going to happen. She was just freaked out by the nightmares.

'Stop acting so scared.' She told herself, trying to think rationally.

'I'm just nervous about the inspection that's all. Some of the Council members are coming to review the new medics and I'm anxious about that. It's nothing to worry about. I trained them and I have faith in their abilities.'

She focused on her breathing and willed away the knot in her stomach. Slowly she felt herself calming down and she relaxed.

"I need to stop getting so worked up." She said to herself before stepping out of the shower.

"I'm a shinobi, not a civilian. Shinobi are supposed to keep their emotions in check."

As she wrapped a towel around her, she looked at the mirror and froze. There was someone behind her, watching her. Her heart stopped and she quickly turned around.

No one was there.

Spinning back around so she was facing the mirror, she noticed that the person hadn't moved at all. They were wearing a white cloak that covered most of their body and they had an ANBU style mask on.

"Who are you? What do you want?" She demanded, staring at the stranger, her eyes never leaving them.

The person didn't reply. Instead they unfolded their arms and moved closer to her. She tensed up, ready to attack if needed. At that distance she should have been able to feel some of their body heat but there was nothing. She wasn't able to sense anyone in the room with her either.

'This must be a genjutsu then.'

She brought her hands together and formed a seal.

"Kai." She said, closing her eyes and using her chakra to try to break the illusion.

"It's futile."

A voice rang out from behind her. She opened her eyes in shock and spun around, chakra flowing to her fists. The bathroom was empty. She reformed the seal and tried again.

"I told you, it's futile. Stop wasting your chakra. This isn't genjutsu so you can't break it."

She turned back around and saw that the man in the mirror was right behind her reflection now. One hand was raised and the other one was forming some kind of seal.

"What do you mean this isn't a genjutsu? No known ninjutsu can do this. Unless…" She paused as a smirk appeared on her face. "It's your kekkai genkai isn't it? It allows you to get into people's heads and show them things without them being able to break it. It's just like Ino's jutsu."

As she looked at the man, she saw his body tense and he stopped forming seals as he spoke.

"Very good. I must admit that I didn't expect anything less from the great Haruno Sakura. You're an excellent candidate after all."

Although she couldn't see his face, she could tell that he was smirking. Her temper began to flare, he was underestimating her! This asshole was irritating her and she fought back the urge to smash the mirror.

"An excellent candidate for what exactly? Who the hell are you?" She shouted angrily, clenching her fists.

"Temper, temper now little girl. Didn't you ever learn to respect your elders? Plus good things come to those who wait. Wouldn't you agree Sakura-chan?"

He was taunting her and trying to see how far he could push her. She bit back her reply and focused on calming herself down.

There was no way she was going to play into this patronising idiot's game. Her heart started to slow and she glared at him one last time before her face became neutral.

"Good control of your emotions as well. You're definitely the perfect person. Perfect chakra control, a strong body and taught by the Slug Princess Tsunade-hime herself. We finally found someone who might be compatible."

"Compatible for what? Stop playing mind games with me and tell me what you want." She spat out through gritted teeth.

How she would love to find this pervert and beat him senseless for being this dense. Sneaking up on her in the shower, and in the Kazekage's bedroom no less!

'He must have a death wish or something." She thought as she looked back at the mirror.

"I've said enough but just to make sure you don't go blabbing to your little boyfriend, consider this a parting gift."

As he spoke, he brought his hands together and made a seal she didn't recognise. He moved his hands forward and she felt them touch her back of her head.

"Get off of me!" She yelled as she struggled to move.

Looking down, she saw black lines beginning to form on her body, inhibiting her movement.

"You can't break this. I'm inside your head now and I have control. Horrible isn't it? Losing control over your own body."

He chuckled darkly before whispering to her. "I'm sure your boyfriend can relate to this though, right? I mean he is the monster that once housed Shukaku."

The man started to cackle as he continued. "He was compatible but don't worry, we need you more than him."

"Shut up!" She roared, using all of her chakra to try and move.

Screw not losing her temper. This bastard was going to die.

"You stay away from him and don't you ever speak about him like that! He's not a monster and it's people like you that make me sick!"

The man started to howl with laughter as her face contorted into a vicious glare. His laugh sounded sickly, a mix between a hacking cough and a gargling sound.

With every moment that passed, she found herself getting more and more livid. Her chakra flared dangerously and her lean form shook in fury.

"If you do ANYTHING to him, I will destroy you!" She snarled, managing to partially rupture the seal.

He formed more seals with his hands and her body went rigid. She felt herself being pushed out as his will took over. Her body started to form seals and a scorching pain began to inch up her spine, intensifying as it reached her forehead.

She was in agony. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the floor as the searing pain moved to her mouth as well. She tried to talk but she couldn't.

The pain was excruciating. She felt like she wanted to die.

Then all of a sudden, the pain abruptly stopped.

As she looked into the mirror, she saw that a seal had appeared on her forehead. When she opened her mouth, there was one on her tongue as well. The man had disappeared from the mirror, but she could still feel his chakra inside her body.

"This seal will restrain you and prevent you from revealing anything. If you try to tell anyone about this little encounter then the pain will return."

She shrieked as he formed a seal to show her what would happen. She was convulsing and it felt like someone was incinerating her insides. She had depleted her chakra and her muscles began to spasm from exhaustion .

"What… What-d-do y-you…want?" She panted, collapsing to the floor.

For a few moments the man didn't respond and Sakura wondered whether he had left. Then she heard his wheezing voice echo in her head.

"For you to be a good girl and behave. We need you to be strong so don't force us to use this. I must go now but we'll come for you soon, Haruno Sakura. Here's another parting gift so you don't forget about us."

The world started to spin and Sakura was sure that she was about to pass out. Then it stopped and she could make out faint noises in the background. There were explosions and the sound of metal against metal. War cries and the sounds of battle rang in her ears. She wondered what was happening.

She was slightly delirious from the previous torture and could hardly focus. A bloodcurdling scream jolted her from her daze.

Tears filled her eyes as she heard another scream. This was horrendous.

Why were they making her hear this?

What did this help them achieve?

As a medic, she had seen the appalling aspects of war before. People's dying moans and whispered good-byes to loved ones. War was a harrowing experience, one that she knew all too well.

She knew that they were trying to intimidate her, she just didn't understand why.

They needed her because she was compatible, something to do with her perfect chakra control and being strong enough.

She also knew that they would come for her, most likely soon.

That would explain the seal. It was to isolate her and to prevent anyone from trying to rescue her. So they needed her unharmed and alive and they couldn't risk anyone else getting involved.

'Think Sakura, think.' She thought to herself as her mind tried to come up with different possibilities.

They were strong. The man who had restrained her had proved that.

So who were they afraid of?

She was stronger than most of the ninja in Suna and she wasn't close many of the other powerful ninja in Suna. That could only leave one person they were afraid of.

"Gaara."

So that's why they put the seal on her. It was no secret that she was the Kazekage's girlfriend and that he was extremely protective of her as a result. It was more of a secret but still a quite well-known one that she was only here on a short mission lasting 3 days. She wasn't ready to settle down and she didn't want to give up her life as a kunoichi of Konoha just yet.

When she had told Gaara that, he'd been annoyed but he had respected her wishes. She still went to Suna on many missions to see him so they managed to make it work.

She knew that eventually she would move to Suna but she was still too young to get married. She was only 19 after all!

They were trying to prevent her from telling the one person who was strong enough to take them down.

If they knew that though, then why didn't they put the seal on her while she was travelling to Suna or while she was in Konoha?

The only reasons she could think of were that they most likely had a spy in Suna and they were desperate. They had to be planning to do something soon and that was why they'd made such a risky move. They were also confident enough in their sealing abilities to assume she wouldn't be able to break it.

She heard someone banging on the door and she realised she was still in a towel.

Damn it, how long had she been stuck in here for?

Shit! The inspection was today and she had to be at the hospital!

"Give me a second!" She called out as she rushed around the room, changing into her clothes as fast as she could.

"Oi Sakura, what the hell have you been doing in there? Is my brother that good in bed that he temporarily erased your memory or something? Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital for the inspection?" Kankuro hollered from outside the door.

Sakura grit her teeth and resisted the urge to open the door and sending him flying through the wall.

"Kankuro, I swear if you start talking about mine and Gaara's sex life again I will hit you so far into the ground they won't find your body for 20 years!"

Kankuro gulped. Before she'd come to Suna, he'd heard rumours about her infamous temper and since then he'd been on the receiving end of it more than a few times.

He thought back when Sakura caught him spying on some of the girls in the hot spring. He wasn't able to walk for a few days afterward and his ribs were sore for weeks. He unconsciously gripped the side of his chest and shuddered. He really should've kept his mouth shut.

The door opened and Sakura emerged, looking extremely frustrated. He'd been about to say something about her looking like a pink drowned rat but the look she gave him shut him up immediately.

Why, out of all the girls in the world, did his brother have to pick the hot-headed one with monstrous strength?

"So what's put you in such a pleasant mood today?" He asked sarcastically, hoping he hadn't overstepped the line.

"Why do you think I'm in a bad mood?" replied Sakura, clenching her fists even tighter than before.

"Because you look like you're about to throw someone through a window, you're late for your shift at the hospital, something we usually have to drag you away from at night and you're glaring at people more than Gaara used to when he was a psychotic 12-year-old."

She stopped for a second and looked like she was waging a war with herself inside her head. Whatever it was, it was probably big. She looked angry about something but he could see the fear hidden in her eyes.

"If you don't want to tell me then at least tell Gaara about it. I know how he likes to know if something's bothering you."

For a while, they walked in silence. Sakura kept her eyes trained on the ground and tried to stop herself from getting nervous. She didn't want to let what the man said get to her, but she was getting more frightened with every step she took.

If they had a spy then would they be watching her? Who was it?

It could be someone at the hospital though she doubted it. She hadn't noticed any strange behaviour from anyone there.

Someone close to Gaara maybe?

It would be convenient to have a spy close to the Kazekage. They could keep an eye on her under the guise of trying to look out for her and Gaara wouldn't suspect anything. Though God help anyone who betrayed Gaara and tried to hurt her. That person would probably be crushed by sand before they even had a chance to protest if Gaara found out who it was.

'It could be one of the advisors.' She thought to herself as she tried to figure out who it could be.

Although she'd saved the Kazekage's life, there were still those who thought that Gaara was a monster. There were also those who hated her for stealing the heart of their beloved Kazekage away from the girls of Suna. To them she was a foreigner, an outsider who had no right to be with him.

All the advisors had been checked out though. They had passed all the extensive background checks by Kankuro and Temari that were done after Yuura had been discovered to be an Akatsuki spy.

All of the Council members had been subjected to a memory search to check for any seals and if anything had been found, they would have been tortured and executed for treason.

They arrived at the hospital quite quickly without Sakura noticing any of the concerned looks that Kankuro had been throwing her way. He knew from her body language that something was really bothering her and he debated whether to tell Gaara or not.

On one hand, they could have gotten into a fight and he wasn't in the mood to step into the middle of that.

On the other hand, Sakura was clearly very upset by it and judging from the way she'd been trying to conceal her thoughts from him this entire time, it was unlikely that she would tell Gaara of her own accord.

He made up his mind. He would go see Gaara and find out if they had gotten into a fight. If he seemed calm enough then he'd broach the topic with him.

"See you later Sakura. Have fun with the Council members sticking their noses into everything." He grinned at her as her expression turned sour.

"Thanks. If all of them are alive at the end of the day then I think it'll be an achievement." She deadpanned before turning to enter the hospital.

'Ahh the Council,' Kankuro thought as he made his way to his brother's office.

Many a time he'd had to hold back the urge to lock several of them in Karasu and throw them out of the building. Council meetings were always interesting.

Usually it started out fairly civil but by the end of it, several Council members would be bickering amongst themselves while he and Temari suppressed the desire to punch all of them. It generally ended when Gaara said silence and everyone in the room went quiet.

Although his baby brother was no longer a deranged, murdering psychopath, his reputation still stuck with him and when he told people to be quiet, they listened.

He certainly knew how to command a room. His temper had mellowed out a lot and he had near infinite patience with some things but even the Council annoyed him on occasion. He just had this air of authority around him which demanded people to listen.

As he reached the office, he knocked on the door twice and waited until Gaara called for him to come in. He used to just knock and walk in but that had led to a few… unfortunate incidents where he had walked in on Gaara and Sakura making out with each other on the desk.

After Sakura had thrown several things at him and Gaara's sand had began to swirl around the office, he'd finally got the hint and left. Now he always remembered to knock before entering and even though he knew Sakura wasn't in there, he waited outside out of habit.

"Enter." A raspy voice called out.

He entered the office and saw Gaara reading through several scrolls on the desk in front of him. He glanced up from his scroll and upon seeing Kankuro, raised his brow quizzically, asking him why he was here. Usually he would be found chatting up the women of Suna and he hardly ever paid casual visits to him in his office unless he had to something to talk about.

"What is it Kankuro? I assume you did not just come here to idly stand by the door."

"No I didn't. I was actually wondering…." He trailed off for a second, trying to find the correct way to word his question.

Gaara glanced up from the scroll he had been reading to look at his brother.

It was unlike Kankuro to hesitate before speaking to him. They were close as brothers and as a result he usually just spoke whatever was on his mind. This had to be something serious.

"Yes." Gaara replied, turning his full attention to Kankuro. "What is wrong?"

"Well… I was just wondering, errr… Have you and Sakura been in a fight by any chance?" His brother's eyes flitted across the room before returning to him.

At the mention of Sakura, Gaara's eyes changed and it was obviously that he was extremely interested in where the conversation was going. Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly before he responded.

"No, we have not. Why would you think that?"

"Well…" Kankuro paused again before speaking. "It's just that she seemed really upset earlier. I didn't see her at breakfast so I thought she'd already left for the hospital because of the inspection today but when I went there, Chiyoko-chan said that she hadn't turned up yet."

"That is strange," replied Gaara.

Usually Sakura would arrive at the hospital early and he would have to go and bring her back home as she would still be working late at night. Sometimes she worked herself too hard and ended up fainting. It worried him that she pushed her limits so much but he could understand her dedication and respected her for it.

"Yeah it is. When I went to your room to see if she was there, I heard her rushing around in a mad panic. When she came out, she looked absolutely terrified. It was like she had seen a ghost or something."

Kankuro stopped and looked at Gaara. His brow was furrowed and he looked like he was thinking hard about something.

"I took her to the hospital but she didn't speak the entire time she was walking with me. I mean usually she would at least make eye contact a few times if she was in a bad mood but there was nothing. She just kept trembling and looking down."

Gaara looked back at Kankuro when he'd stopped speaking.

Why was Sakura so frightened?

He'd told her not to worry and she'd seemed fine when he left. She'd been sleeping peacefully with a small smile on her face.

Was it another nightmare?

She'd seemed nervous when she woke up but she hadn't displayed any signs of having another nightmare before he'd left. She hadn't been sweating and her face showed no signs of worry.

She rarely ever got frightened like that as well. Something else must have happened to spook her so much. He felt himself becoming concerned over her being so distressed.

After he had finished some of his work, he would visit her and find out what was wrong. He just had a feeling that she wouldn't give up the information easily. He was also concerned with the nagging feeling that he'd felt this morning as well but he hadn't mentioned it to Sakura to prevent her from worrying.

"Thank you for informing me Kankuro. I will visit the hospital later and find out what is wrong. Also... I have a mission for you." He held out a small scroll with a seal tag on it, waiting for Kankuro to take it.

As Kankuro took the scroll, he inspected the seal on it. There was a swirl mark on the corner of it. He wondered where he had seen it before. As it dawned on him, he froze in horror. He turned to look at his brother who looked as though he had come to the same conclusion as he had.

"Gaara, this seal. There's only one person in Suna that uses seals like these. But it's not possible…. Weren't they found-?"

"Yes." He said, cutting him off. "Some scouts discovered them in the middle of the desert. From the reports sent back, it appears they were hacked to pieces."

He stopped and waited for the information to sink in.

"That scroll was found in the hands of the leader. I would like you to take a squad and investigate the area near where they were found."

"Ok Gaara, I'll have a squad ready to leave in 30 minutes."

Kankuro opened the door to leave but stopped when he heard Gaara clearing his throat.

"Kankuro." He said gravely, waiting until his brother turned around before continuing. "If you encounter any enemies, you are not to engage them."

Kankuro opened his mouth to protest but Gaara sent him a look that made him close it again.

"That is an order. We have no information on the attackers and running headfirst into battle will cause needless injuries."

Kankuro couldn't help but smile as his brother said that. In his own way, he was trying to tell him to be careful on this mission. It was obvious that the recent attacks on the border guards were making Gaara anxious as well.

That was to be expected though. They had lost 3 four-man squads in the last was troubling to think that these could be deliberate attacks that could threaten Suna.

"Ok Gaara. I'll be careful alright? Though I must admit that it's nice to know that my brother loves me so much that he wants me to be careful on this mission." He teased, swiftly shutting the door and narrowly avoiding the tendril of sand that collided with it seconds after.

It was nice that he was able to joke with his brother like this now. If he'd said that around the time of the Chuunin exams, he would have been crushed before finishing that sentence.

He walked down the corridor, trying to put together a team in his head. If he was free, he would definitely pick Baki to come along. He was one of the few people who the Sand siblings trusted with their lives.

When they had first been told that the three of them would have to work together, he'd been uneasy about being on a team with Gaara. Even if he was his brother, he was still an unstable 12-year-old with a penchant for murdering anyone who looked at him the wrong way.

Then again he hadn't exactly been thrilled to be on the same team as Temari either. Although they loved each other and looked out for each other as siblings, Temari was still a headstrong young woman with extremely violent tendencies that Kankuro was usually on the end of.

He briefly entertained the notion that maybe that was why Sakura and Temari got along so well. They probably bonded over their shared interest in violence against the male population and swapped different ideas on how to punish him for his perverted ways.

He wasn't that perverted though...

Yes so maybe he enjoyed the company of several different ladies at once and maybe he made it a habit to try and spy on the girls in the hot springs. A habit which, once Temari and Sakura had found out about, was now done in utmost secrecy to prevent any more near-death encounters with the two enraged kunoichi.

However he wasn't actually that bad.

Sure on the outside, it seemed like he was a massive player who was only interested in casual flings but in reality, he just hadn't found a girl he had really connected with yet. He found girls attractive but it was more for the sex than anything else.

Though he had to admit, he did have a sort of soft spot for that cute nurse Chiyoko in Suna hospital.

Not that he'd ever say anything to her about it though. If Sakura found out, she would probably beat him and threaten him to make sure he never toyed with her heart. She was a sweet girl and deserved someone who wouldn't mess around with her.

He wouldn't dream of doing it, but his reputation as a ladies man was well-known across Suna and he wasn't sure whether she would be interested in him because of that. She seemed like the kind of girl who would go for one of those shy, sensitive types.

* * *

Back in Suna hospital, Sakura was finding it difficult to concentrate. As soon as she'd gone in, all hell had broken loose. The Council members had stuck their noses into everything, disrupting check-ups and surgeries alike. A constant stream of people had been coming to her with problems for the past 2 hours.

She swore that the next Council member that came into her operating theatre demanding her attention that instant was going to find themselves' checking into the hospital instead of inspecting it.

How did Gaara deal with them?

She could hardly stand being around them for a few hours and he had to deal with them every day. Then again, he did have the patience of a saint. Well, mostly.

Even though she'd been overwhelmed by the amount of patients that day and shouldn't have had time to think about anything else, she still found her mind wandering back to the encounter in the bathroom. It scared her to think that now they could control her whenever they liked.

What if they decided to activate it during a surgery? There was no way she would be able to finish a surgery in that kind of pain.

The amount of new patients being admitted was worrying her as well. It was like all the casualties had doubled overnight. Most of them were presenting with similar symptoms as well. From what they had gathered, it seemed to be a kind of nerve toxin that paralysed parts of the body.

So far no one had been fatally injured, which was strange for a poison like this. Nerve poisons were usually fast acting and generally didn't discriminate between what they paralysed. Often a victim would die from their heart stopping or from not being able to breathe as the nerve impulses from the brain were blocked.

"What kind of poison can pick which part of the body it affects? It's almost as if it's being…" She said out loud, trailing off as it dawned on her.

This wasn't a poison.

She hadn't investigated it herself yet but all the reports from the other medics had pointed towards it being a poison. When she'd taken a closer look at the reports, little things didn't seem to add up but she could see how someone could overlook them in favour of a simpler explanation.

The way the paralysis was affecting everyone was very similar to the seal that the man had put on her earlier.

So if it wasn't a poison, then it had to be the man's chakra. But how was he affecting so many people at once? He would need to have a huge amount of chakra to affect this many people, comparable to a tailed beast. There was no way he had a bijuu.

'That's impossible. The bijuu were sealed away in that statue. There's no way they could have found that.' She thought to herself, silently hoping that what she thought wasn't true.

After the war was over, it was decided that the remaining bijuu would be kept in the statue and hidden away to prevent others from using it. No one, apart from a few select individuals from a neutral country, had any idea where it was. Naruto and Killer-Bee had protested but after consulting with the Bijuu, they'd changed their minds.

Those individuals hadn't been named but she knew they were from the Land of Rice. Although it was a small country, the sealing jutsu from the Land of Rice was incredibly strong. It had been compared to the sealing jutsu of the Uzumaki clan. Everyone had trusted that those select ninja would be able to defend the statue and stop it from ever being used to resurrect the Juubi again.

A knock on the door made her jump from her seat as she called for the person to come in. Chiyoko walked through the door, her long black hair tied up in a messy bun while her bangs framed the sides of her face.

'She looks completely exhausted,' thought Sakura, as she got up to help her carry a few stacks of paperwork that looked like they were about to fall.

"Thank you Sakura. Stacks of paperwork always look lighter than they actually are." giggled Chiyoko as she placed the remaining stacks on the desk.

"So what's up Sakura? It's unlike you to be late to the hospital."

Sakura looked away for a moment. Should she tell Chiyoko or not?

If she did then it would mean she would be able to tell Gaara as well and the man's threat wouldn't have been serious. If she didn't then she would just have to figure this out by herself.

As she was about to open her mouth, she stopped and her eyes widened in shock. She felt a horrific pounding in her head and it felt like she was being stabbed in the gut. She closed her mouth and gripped the table to prevent her from toppling over.

"Sakura are you okay?" Chiyoko called out, rushing over to her and trying to figure out what was wrong.

Sakura pushed her away and tried to regain her balance. As she did she looked up and saw the look of hurt that crossed her face before being buried. She felt bad but she was in no mood to explain anything. The man's threat had been real. She was alone in this and it was safer for everyone if it stayed that way.

"Sorry. I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. I think I should have had some breakfast this morning. I just rushed out instead."

She put on her best fake smile and hoped that it would fool her. From the look on Chiyoko's face, it seemed like she bought it. She felt her arm link with hers as she pulled her out the door.

"We're going to get you some food then. It's dangerous for you to be working on patients if you don't feel 100% you know." Chiyoko scolded as she tried to give her a disapproving look.

Sakura suppressed a smile. Chiyoko's disapproving look had turned into a sort of pout. Allowing herself to be led to the canteen by Chiyoko, she wondered what would happen next.

All of these things were pointing to something but she didn't know what it was. Just what were these people planning?

* * *

**And that's it :) 6000 words and it's finally done. Thank you for reading it and please don't forget to review :) **


	3. A Warning

**Hey guys. Sorry for not updating for a while, we were doing Hairspray at school for our musical and we barely had any time to do anything else so I'm sorry about that. To make it up to you, here's a long chapter for you guys to enjoy. **

**Trying to write Gaara in this was quite difficult. Does it seem like he acted in character for it or was he completely OOC? **

**Btw there is a lemon in this chapter. I'll put some lines in so those of you who don't like reading them can skip it. I think that was my first lemon I've ever written actually.**

** I hope you guys like this chapter and please don't forget to review. It really helps to motivate you to write when you know that people are reading your stories :) **

* * *

She stared at the food in front of her and tried to will it away. The stench of the stale bread and old fish was assaulting her nostrils and making her feel nauseous. She eyed the plate again before picking up her chopsticks. She held her nose with one hand and hastily gulped down the food before reaching for the glass of water that Chiyoko had just set down on the table.

"Wow. You must have been really hungry." She said, staring in wonder at the now empty plate.

"Yeah. I didn't realise how hungry I was actually."

She sheepishly grinned before taking another sip of water.

She could still taste the fish curry in her mouth and it made her want to gag. However she really hadn't realised how hungry she actually was. The torture the man had put her through earlier had taken more out of her than she thought.

She must have stared into space for a while because at that moment, a hand waved in front of her before pulling back to reveal a worried Chiyoko.

"Seriously Sakura, what's wrong with you today? Usually you're way more talkative and it's not like you to be staring into space like that."

Sakura stared at the table and tried to gather her thoughts. So many things were spinning around her head at the moment and they were making her dizzy again.

Who were they? What did they want? How much would she be able to tell people?

She decided to try again and push how much she could talk about without the pain starting. Maybe she could find a way to tell Chiyoko or Gaara without really saying anything.

"Chiyoko." She said, bringing her eyes back to the young nurse's face.

"Do you- Umm do you ever get nightmares?" Sakura said, looking away slightly.

'Great. Now she's going to think I'm pathetic for being afraid of nightmares.' She thought angrily.

Chiyoko paused for a second, looking away from Sakura and focusing on the vending machine on the other side of the room. She wasn't sure whether it was the lighting or not but it looked like there was a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Yes, sometimes I do. They're really stupid though and you'll probably think I'm weird for being scared by them."

She looked at Sakura's face before continuing.

"The worst one I ever had was when… umm- w-well when I-," she stopped again as her face went the colour of a tomato.

Sakura took this in before a sly smile appeared on her face. She thought she knew what this dream might have been about and even though it was a nightmare, she could tell that the first part had been very enjoyable at least.

"Chiyoko, this nightmare of yours wouldn't happen to include a certain cat-suit wearing puppeteer now would it?"

Her blush darkened and her eyes went wide as she gaped at Sakura. She didn't know that Sakura knew all about her crush on the elder brother of the Kazekage. Though it was quite obvious to Sakura, only a few other people in the hospital had really noticed and they wouldn't have said anything to anyone about it.

The look on her face told her everything she needed to know and her smile widened as Chiyoko kept getting redder and redder. Chiyoko was very easy to read, even for her and she had an idea about what kind of dream she'd had. Still she wouldn't push the girl anymore. She looked like she was about to hyperventilate at this point and unlike Ino, she wasn't all that interested in the nitty-gritty details.

Still that didn't mean she couldn't tease her a little about it.

"So Chiyoko." She began once again, the cat-like grin spreading further across her face. "How are things going with you and Kankuro?"

She spluttered slightly, choking a bit on the water she was drinking.

"Sakura don't say it so loudly! Someone could hear you and then…" She rambled on, mustering the best glare that she could before stopping and drinking her water again.

As Sakura was about to reply, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked around and saw it was Kawasuki Akira, one of the new doctors that she had trained when she was in Suna. He was one of the better medics she had taught and he had a lot of potential. He was dedicated to his studies but he was impatient and was a bit of a ladies man.

He smirked and then playfully winked at her before speaking.

"Sakura, the Council have finished inspecting the hospital and they've written their report for Kazekage-sama. They wanted you to have a copy as well."

Sakura took the scroll from him and stared at it anxiously. Inside it was the fate of the new medics and whether they had lived up to the Council's expectations. She started to feel nervous for them. They all deserved to be fully fledged medics but the Council had insisted on monitoring all of them.

Gaara and Sakura both knew that it was just another way to keep an eye on her and what she was doing but eventually he'd relented and granted them the request. She had been understandably irritated by the Council's request but she understood why Gaara had allowed it.

He couldn't play favourites between his girlfriend and his village and if he was shown to have favoured her, the Council would have no qualms about using it to try to remove him as Kazekage. A majority of them respected him but they were still wary and no matter how much they claimed to only have the village's best interests on their minds, it was obvious that most of them would jump at any chance to seize power.

She opened the scroll carefully, not realising she was holding her breath until she opened it fully. The message itself was excessively long and full of empty compliments for Sakura and her work at the hospital. Though she was happy that they were impressed with the progress of her medics and they had allowed all of them to become full-time medics.

She looked over at Akira who was fiddling with his headband and fish net shirt. He was nervous as well. She knew he wanted this so badly and it would crush him if he didn't succeed.

He looked up when he felt her staring at him and his eyes widened slightly before he opened his mouth slightly to speak. He was trying to decipher her facial expression, looking for any sort of sign.

Her face broke out into a wide grin and for a few seconds, he stared at her in shock. Then his expression mirrored hers and she could see his barely contained joy.

"Well done Akira. Everyone passed and they were very impressed." She stopped and waited for him to calm down.

"However now you are a proper medical ninja and you must be prepared for what will come. Your studies haven't ended just because you are no longer an apprentice. You have to keep up your skills and keep improving."

Her words echoed those of Tsunade-sama when she'd become a medic. It was one of the happiest days of her life but Tsunade made it very clear that the training wasn't over. A medical ninja had to constantly be looking for new ways to treat things and heal more efficiently. Medical ninjas had to be innovative. You never knew what kind of injuries you might see on a mission and when your teammates were counting on you, you couldn't let them down.

"I will now start to teach you more advanced techniques. These will be very draining and require precise chakra control. You must keep practicing them until they are perfect. There is no room for error."

He stood up straight as she finished and then bowed to her.

"Hai, Sakura-sensei." He shouted before bounding out of the canteen.

She'd felt uncomfortable when he had bowed to her but she let it slide. She wasn't used to the attention and people adding –sama to the her name when she visited the village but she figured she'd have to get used to it. She was dating the Kazekage after all and they were only being respectful.

Looking at the clock in the canteen, she noticed it was 7 o'clock. It didn't feel like she'd been at the hospital for 6 hours but then again she'd been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't been keeping track of the time.

Chiyoko turned around and looked at what she was staring at.

"Wow, it's already 7. Time sure does fly by when you're having fun." She said dully.

Sakura stared at her incredulously. The look on her face was all it took for Chiyoko to burst into a fit of giggles. Sakura sighed and closed her eyes.

"I thought you were being serious for a second there. What could be fun about old geezers breathing down your neck for 5 hours?"

She frowned as a memory of one of the Council members trying to follow her into the bathroom replayed in her mind. Chiyoko had held her back to prevent her from breaking the man's nose and proving to the Council that she wasn't right for their precious Kazekage.

"I think I should head home now. I'm leaving tomorrow and Ga-I mean Kazekage-sama wanted to spend some time with me before I left." She caught herself before she said Gaara's name.

Very few people knew the details about her and Gaara and although Chiyoko was one of them, the hospital staff were notorious gossips. Many didn't know the exact nature of their relationship, but most knew they had a special bond and were no longer surprised when the saw them walking around the village together.

Of course it still didn't stop the death glares that she got from Gaara's fangirls. They were incredibly creepy at times but mostly just extremely irritating. She couldn't recall the amount of times she had wanted to smack them around the face after they had said something about her not being good enough for Gaara, but she knew they were probably in the hundreds by now. They were usually silenced when Gaara glared at them and they either swooned or froze in fear.

Gaara was much calmer than he used to be but there was some darkness that he would never be rid of. He was damaged and broken from the emotional trauma inflicted on him in his younger years and although the love of his mother and people had helped him immensely, there were just some wounds that could never fully heal.

He rarely lost his temper completely, but he was easily irritated by certain things and being on the receiving end of Gaara's fury was still pretty damn terrifying, even for her. Though often his wrath was directed at the numerous men who even thought about trying to make any moves on her with him around. Most of the time a look from Gaara was all it took to ward off any potential flirts but the quiet rustle of sand spilling out of his gourd generally scared off the rest.

For those either too foolish to back down or brave enough to tempt the Kazekage's anger, a piercing glare that radiated possessiveness and jealousy did the trick. Well that or the waves of killing intent that promised a painful demise succeeded in repelling even the most persistent of them.

She wondered what Gaara was doing in his office.

'He's probably silently cursing the Council for giving him so much paperwork.'

She let out a small chuckle as an image of Gaara being crushed by a mountain of fallen paperwork sprang into her mind. The paperwork was one of the drawbacks of being a Kage. She knew that was the reason that Kakashi-sensei had turned down the offer to be the Rokudaime Hokage after Tsunade-sama said that she would be stepping down soon.

Kakashi-sensei was so lazy at times and she couldn't imagine him sitting at a desk all day signing papers. He would most likely try to find any excuse to stop doing paperwork and read those damn Icha-Icha books of his.

'Yeah knowing him he'd probably be reading it while jerking off in his office.' Inner Sakura chimed as Sakura tried to scrub the resulting images from her mind.

'You're such a delight aren't you? Why would you even think like that? Kakashi-sensei would never…'

Ok well maybe that wasn't completely true but she was sure he would have more respect for the role of a Kage than that. He was always late and seemed quite unassuming but ninja were taught to never judge their opponents by their looks for a reason. Kakashi-sensei was a fierce ninja, hailed as the genius son of Konoha's White Fang and he was very protective of his team, especially when it came to her.

She wasn't whether it was because he felt threatened by the Kazekage because he was taking away his only female student or due to feelings of some sort of weird fatherly love towards her, but she always noticed that he was more attentive when Gaara came to town. He often tried to lure her away from him under the pretense of a mission, only to launch into a discussion of being careful around boys and using protection as soon as they were alone.

These talks commonly ended with her storming off, red-faced as Kakashi-sensei tried to bestow his 'wisdom' on the younger generation or with him threatening to harm Gaara if he ever tried to take advantage of her in any way before he laughed menacingly.

She was appreciative of this but he seemed over-zealous when talking about his plans of castrating the Kazekage and the dangerous glint in his eye made her uneasy about ever leaving him alone with Gaara. She was happy that he was looking out for her but it was quite irritating when he followed them everywhere. He seemed to have some kind of sensor for detecting when her and Gaara wanted to be intimate.

Once he had knocked on her door just as Gaara was about to penetrate her. He was understandably annoyed by the interruption and tried to get her to continue but Sakura would have none of it. It took an insurmountable amount of self-control to stop but Kakashi-sensei would probably have broken down the door if she didn't answer.

The thought made her shiver slightly. There was no way in hell she would ever have a talk with her sensei if he found Gaara buried deep between her legs and her hips grinding into his.

She would never be able to face him again if that happened!

Not to mention the inevitable war that would surely follow if Suna found their Kage dead after bleeding out from his nether regions. That would be a great way to start a war.

'Sorry about castrating your Kazekage, oh and have a nice Christmas,' probably wouldn't cut it either.

Despite his overprotectiveness her, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei worked well together. Team 7 was no longer an official team but they were still a force to be reckoned with. They knew each other's fighting styles and their attacks complemented each other's.

Naruto would usually surround an enemy with shadow clones and distract the enemy. She would punch the ground, shattering the rock beneath their feet and sending razor-sharp shards flying at the enemy. Most enemies underestimated her because she was a girl and had pink hair but those were the ones who were in for the shock of their lives when she attacked.

Being underestimated irked her like nothing else, well aside from Naruto's ramblings on the benefits of ramen of course, but she used it to her advantage. It was their own fault if they ended up with a broken face for not dodging one of her punches.

She reached the Kazekage Tower faster than she expected and made her way up the stairs she had been on countless times. She felt her heart flutter slightly at the thought of seeing him again.

You would think after being with each other for so long she would have lost that feeling but she hadn't. It had lessened from before and had been replaced with a deeper love, one full of understanding and trust where she knew he would always be there for her.

She walked along the winding corridor, its scarlet walls decorated with various ornaments. It looked so regal and she started to feel out of place. Why did Gaara fall for her of all people? She was just a kunoichi from Konoha and he was basically royalty even if he wasn't the Kazekage. He could do so much better than her…

No.

She shook her head and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. He rarely said it but she knew he loved her. She saw it in his eyes when he looked at her and the way he touched her made her feel like the most important girl in the world.

Gaara was used to getting what he wanted and if he didn't want her then he wouldn't have pursued her. Feeling sorry for herself and doubting his love was insulting to the both of them and she never wanted to hurt him.

At the end of the corridor, she reached a very familiar door where a young woman sat outside reading through several scrolls on the desk in front of her. Sato Hanako was her name and she was one of the most beautiful women that Sakura had ever seen. Her long chestnut hair flowed over her shoulder and her skin was smooth and blemish-free. A wave of jealousy crashed over her when she thought about Hanako batting her long, luscious eyelashes at Gaara and trying to seduce him.

She had another thing coming if she thought Sakura would just stand by and let that happen!

She was very protective of him, partially because of how horrible a childhood he'd had, but also because she could get nearly as jealous as Gaara on occasion. She would personally murder anyone who tried to get between them so they could gain more status from knowing the Kazekage.

She knew that Hanako was part of Gaara's hoard of fangirls although she was more subtle than many of them. At least she didn't try to grope him at every chance she got. Another surge of jealousy washed through her and the secretary finally noticed her presence and looked up. Their eyes locked and the tension was almost palpable. Disdain flashed across Hanako's face as she looked Sakura up and down before sneering.

"Why Haruno-sama, it's an absolute _pleasure_ to see you here," She said, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"Do you want me to tell Kazekage-sama that you're here, assuming he has time for you and all? I mean he is the leader of this village so his time should be spend on _important _things rather than insignificant nuisances, don't you think?" she said, emphasising important before turning to look as the door opened.

One of the Council members that had inspected the hospital walked out and bowed to her while nodding at Hanako and walking down the opposite end of the hallway. She watched him leave before returning her eyes to the doorway.

Inside she saw a man with red hair and pale-green eyes staring right back at her. He was in his kage robes and there was mountains of paperwork piled on the desk. They stayed like this for a few seconds before he raised his hand and motioned for her to come in. She obliged but not before turning around and glowering at Hanako who returned the favour.

She walked inside the office and closed the door behind her, jumping back slightly when she nearly bumped into his chest. His arms encircled her and pulled her tightly against him, almost as if he was trying to make sure she never left.

She felt his heart beating steadily in his chest and reached up to caress his face as he raised one eyebrow at her.

"Sakura, why were you antagonising my secretary?" His raspy voice asked as she felt his chest rumble when he spoke.

He had a disapproving look on his face and looked about ready to give her a lecture on being polite.

* * *

**Lemon starts here:**

* * *

She sighed before slowly running her hands under his shirt and gently biting his neck. His breath hitched and he stiffened slightly as he pulled her closer than before. He groaned and brought her head up to meet his.

He captured her lips in an intense kiss before running his hands across her chest, making her gasp in surprise. He forced his tongue into her mouth and tried to memorise every corner.

He loved kissing her like this and knowing that he was the only man who could do this to her. The mere thought of Sakura doing this to someone else made his insides tighten in anger and he dominated the kiss, pushing her against a wall before locking the door with his sand.

His hungry kisses were beginning to make her mind go hazy and she tried to push him away so she could tell him about the nightmares. Unfortunately he didn't seem to like this as he pinned her against the wall with his hips while sliding a knee between her legs.

A moan escaped her throat and she pushed back with equal fervour, trying to prolong this moment for as long as possible. She was unsure of when her next mission to Suna would be and she wanted to make the most of her time here.

Something hard was pushing against her thigh and she grinded into him slowly, teasing him as much as possible. Teasing him was one of her favourite games to play as she loved it when he shuddered and groaned in ecstasy.

She heard something that sounded like a growl and he began to meet her, removing her shirt as he went. He trailed hot kisses down her neck, making her squirm and rubbing herself against him. Soon he wouldn't be able to resist himself but he wanted her to enjoy it first.

He finished biting her neck and moved to her collarbone, leaving red marks on her skin to show the world that she was his. He removed her bra and took one nipple into his mouth before rolling the other one with his fingers. She began to shake as he teased her. Her skin was flushed and the sensation was overwhelming her.

Any hopes of her forming a coherent sentence were crushed as he moved his mouth from one to the other, relentlessly sucking and biting. The heat in between her legs was building and she was dripping wet for him.

"G-Gaara…" She whimpered, tugging at his shirt desperately.

She needed him inside her now!

He paused and removed his vest and shirt before resuming his torture. One hand slipped underneath her shorts and rubbed her through the damp fabric. A strangled scream was stifled by another smouldering kiss. Their ragged breathing was synchronised and her moans were all that could be heard in the office. He ran a hand across her before pulling down her shorts and underwear, discarding them on the floor.

He ran his fingers through her slick folds, rubbing that sensitive button before slipping a finger inside her. She was moaning loudly now, grinding herself against his hand, begging for him to let her climax. She knew he was doing this to tease her and it was driving her crazy.

Well two could play at that game.

He inserted another finger and rubbed her tantalisingly slowly, applying more pressure. He was so turned on and he was finding it hard to control his urges but he would.

It was her last day here and he wanted to give her something to remember. He would make her feel so good; she would never want to leave him ever.

Her legs buckled from the sensation that started to spread all over her body and consumed her. Gaara was the only thing preventing her from falling to the floor but she couldn't stand if she wanted to. Her thighs were shuddering slightly and all she could focus on was the pleasure Gaara was giving her. Both of their eyes were clouded with lust although Sakura was fairly delirious by this point.

He kept taking her to the edge before pulling back and leaving her begging for more. She felt like she was about to pass out from the pleasure. In her lusty haze, one thought popped into her mind.

He always made her feel incredible so why couldn't she do the same for him?

Her nails racked down his back before her hands travelled towards his trousers. She rubbed his abs and felt them ripple underneath her touch. Her hands travelled lower and slipped under his waistband. His eyes widened and he attempted to use his free arm to remove them. This was supposed to be about her, not him.

He increased the intensity of his ministrations and stuck another finger into her. She gasped and her hips bucked wildly. She was so close, just a little more. Her hands started to caress him over his boxers as her index finger ran down the length of his shaft. A groan escaped him as his breathing got harder and he subconsciously started to move against her hand.

She kissed him again, knocking the wind out of him from the force, moaning again when he found the sensitive part inside her. He rubbed her clit and g-spot together, willing her to cum for him. After a few more rubs she came and spasmed uncontrollably. The only things she could focus on were him and the pleasure.

"Ga-aaara!" She cried, trembling as pleasurable waves coursed through her before slumping against his shoulder, out of breath.

He removed his hand and made eye contact with her as he slowly licked his fingers before threading his hands through her hair and kissing her. She shivered again and tasted herself in his mouth.

Her hands tightened around his member and it was too much. He needed to be inside her now, he had to.

He removed his boxers, hissing when the cold air and his member came into contact. Her hands shakily guided him to her entrance and her breath hitched in anticipation. Their eyes locked and slowly he thrust in, watching as her face contorted into one of pleasure. He moved slowly, trying to make it enjoyable for her before he lost control. He raised his sand and held her against the wall while it pulled her legs apart to give him better access.

Her moans started again and it wasn't long before the pleasure started to build for both. She met him again, thrust for thrust and the steady rhythm became more frantic as he started to lose control. The feeling of being inside her was indescribable and he knew he would finish soon. He felt her walls start to tremble and he knew she was cumming.

After a few more pumps he felt his orgasm coming.

His breathing quickened and his eyes closed from the intensity. Tingles ran through his body, igniting his nerve endings and making him hypersensitive. Sakura gazed at him through glazed-over eyes, still feeling it. Her small whimpers and dazed expression were the only indication that she was still riding her high. His toes started to curl and his legs began to shake. The muscles around his pelvis tightened and he felt himself harden even more.

He had passed the point of no return and he was going to cum hard. The shaking intensified, a blinding white light obscured his vision and his whole body began to shake. He screamed out her name as she felt him emptying himself inside her. His rigid form relaxed as he fell forward slightly, struggling to catch his breath. His hand cupped her cheek and made her look at him.

She was so beautiful with her face flushed and eyes that only saw him.

He smirked at her.

She was his and he was hers. Nothing would ever come between them; he would make sure of it.

He disliked her staying in another village but he kept telling himself when she was his wife, he would always get to see her. The thought of Sakura being his Kazehime made him feel warm. There was no doubt in his mind that they would be together for as long as they lived, no matter how cliché it sounded.

They were soul mates, lovers and best friends all rolled into one.

* * *

They stared at each other, locked in the intensity of each other's eyes before Sakura gently kissed him again. He pulled her close while instructing his sand to retrieve their clothes. After holding each other for a few more seconds, they began to put their clothes back on, Sakura helping to do up some of buckles on his vest while Gaara helped her with her skirt and shorts.

They stood in silence before Sakura spoke.

"That was amazing Gaara," she hummed, nuzzling her face even further into his chest, breathing in his scent.

"Yes it was."

He had a small smirk on his face when he saw that her eyes were still glassy.

"Stop smirking at me. Don't you have any other facial expressions?" She teased, lightly nudging him.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it up to his face. Maintaining eye contact with her, he lightly kissed her hand, eyes shining with amusement as he watched her turn beet-red.

"You never answered my question."

"What?" she replied, puzzled. Her brain was still a little frazzled from her impromptu office sex with her boyfriend.

The smirk grew slightly wider as he gazed down at her, taking in all of her. She was confused. He liked the fact he could make feel so nice that she forget about everything else apart from him.

"You were glaring at my secretary. I would like to know why."

Sakura frowned as the memory of the encounter with Hanako resurfaced in her mind.

How dare that little slut try to steal her man!

Hanako had a reputation for sleeping around but Sakura didn't judge her for that. Whatever she did in her private life was her business but no one hit on her man.

"I don't like her."

She was aware that sentence made her sound like a spoilt child but she didn't want to tell Gaara the full story. She could deal with Hanako and she knew there was no way in hell that Gaara would cheat on her so she was safe for now.

Gaara's brow furrowed slightly before he spoke again.

"Why?"

"Because I don't like the way she looks at you. Plus she's one of your fangirls who aren't exactly my biggest fans so she doesn't like me that much either."

Sakura clenched her fists in irritation as she remembered Hanako's greeting to her. She revealed what happened in the confrontation earlier. Once she was finished, Gaara was frowning even more and had crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do not worry Sakura. I have no interest in her and I will speak to her about her lack of respect for you. I assure you it will not happen again." His arm tensed just a fraction as he said it.

He detested it when people treated others as though they were beneath them and even more so when it came to Sakura. He would not tolerate anyone being rude to her, especially not right in front of him. His fangirls irritated him to no end but if they even tried to hurt Sakura, they would pay.

"Gaara, you're doing it again." He turned to find a frowning Sakura staring at him.

"Doing what?"

"Glaring. I don't like seeing you angry either you know. I know you would never cheat on me so it's fine."

"Saku-" He began but was cut off by someone pounding on the door and shouting for him.

"Kazekage-sama! Kazekage-sama! Quickly we need you, it's urgent. And Sakura-sama as well. Please hurry up."

They sounded frantic and Gaara immediately used his sand to unlock the door. The Chuunin burst in, looking exhausted from sprinting across the city.

Gaara turned to look at the Chuunin and he settled back into his stoic mask that he used for most of the day. The only times that mask was ever really dropped was around his siblings, Naruto and obviously Sakura though Sakura hardly ever saw him with the mask on when he was with her. He hated keeping things from her and he knew that she liked to help him when he was troubled.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked stonily, locking his gaze on the Chuunin who was becoming more uncomfortable by the second.

"Well… Umm Kazekage-sama it's about Kankuro-sama and the squad he was sent out with earlier." Gaara's demeanor immediately changed. His eyes narrowed and Sakura could feel the anger boiling inside him.

He pinned the Chuunin with a dangerous look, almost daring him to even try to lie to his next question. "And, what would that be?" he asked in a low voice.

"He was found unconscious on the west outskirts of the city. He is badly beaten and near-dead. There are no signs of the rest of his squad. We need Sakura-sama now otherwise he might die."

The Chuunin looked absolutely terrified now and even Sakura was starting to get a little uneasy with the aura that he was emitting. He looked furious and the barely controlled rage was at the surface now.

The rage he was feeling reminded her of what he was like during the Chuunin exams but this wasn't a lonely boy killing to fulfil his need to feel alive, no this was an enraged Kazekage who was out for blood and who wouldn't hesitate to crush the people who dared to threaten his family and village.

"Gaara."

Her voice snapped him out of his trance a bit and allowed him to calm down enough to keep his emotions under control. He was the Kazekage and could not afford to lose control every time he lost his temper. Then again it didn't mean that he couldn't let out all the pent-up fury on his brother's attackers.

"Gaara we need to get to Kankuro now."

Turning to face Sakura, he saw that she had a determined expression on her face.

She would do everything in her power to save Kankuro and then kill the bastards who hurt him. Gaara walked over to the corner of the room and strapped on his gourd. Walking over to Sakura, he started forming hand seals and teleported the moment he reached her.

They reached the western outskirts of the city in no time. The place was a derelict part of the city, filled with cheap bars and brothels along with crumbling hotels. Sakura had never been to this part of the city actually. Gaara had refused to let her go there because it was 'dangerous for a woman at night'. She was flattered that he cared about her but it was still sexist to some degree, regardless of his intentions.

She felt a tug on her shirt and saw Gaara grab her hand and start leading her towards a large crowd of people at the end of the street. There was a blood trail leading there from the wall that separated the village from the vast expanse of desert that surrounded it.

When they reached the crowd, they immediately dispersed to let the Kazekage and his 'special friend' through. What she saw shocked her immensely.

There was Kankuro lying on the ground, blood all over his face. His shirt was ripped and burned and pieces of burned cotton stuck to his skin. Kunai and shuriken were sticking out of various appendages and there was a small pool of blood surrounding his head. His eyes were glassy and unfocused and she could tell he had lost a lot of blood.

She slipped into medic mode and began to assess the damage, though from an initial look at him she could tell he was in bad shape. If someone hadn't found him when they had, he probably would have been left to bleed out and die. While she dealt with trying to stabilise Kankuro, Gaara had taken to glaring at passers-by and keeping away people to prevent a crowd from forming again. Once the coast was clear, he stepped closer to her and Kankuro and formed a small wall between them and the rest of the street.

He lifted them in the air on his sand, intent on getting Kankuro to the hospital. He was no medical ninja but even he knew that Kankuro was severely injured. He felt guilt and worry eating away at his insides. This was his fault. If he hadn't sent Kankuro on this mission, then he wouldn't have got hurt. What kind of a Kazekage was he if he couldn't even protect his family?

They arrived at the hospital and the medics headed by Sakura began to tend to him. He started to regain consciousness at one point and once he was stable, Sakura stopped healing him so his body could do it himself and tried to decipher what he was mumbling about.

Suddenly his eyes came back into focus and he was lucid despite the cocktail of drugs that had been pumped into his system to stop the pain.

"Kankuro, it's ok." She whispered, trying to soothe him as he became more and more panicked.

It hurt her to see him like this. Usually he was so full of life and now he looked dead.

His eyes honed in on her face and he roughly gripped her chin with one of his hands. His eyes were wide and he whispered something before succumbing to the anaesthesia.

She wasn't sure if she heard him right because it had been so quiet but it sounded like 'Sakura, run…'

A shiver ran down her spine as she looked out the window into the inky black night.


End file.
